Single Review: Sugarland, “Still the Same”

The first single from Sugarland in many years bets heavily on nostalgia, relying on the assumption that we will be so happy to hear them together again that we won’t notice the song itself is as paint by numbers as it gets.

It’s a bet that they win.

It really is great to hear Sugarland again. Jennifer Nettles remains one of the genre’s finest vocalists, and she’s back in her comfort zone with Kristian Bush. The record has their signature sound in spades, thankfully leaning heavier toward the Love On the Inside production style instead of the bizarre Incredible Machine experimentalism that preceded their hiatus.

It’s an adult song about mature relationships staying steady. It also doubles as a wink and a nod to their return as a duo, and titles their reunion tour because synergy.

Whatever. I don’t care if it’s as much a marketing ploy as it is musicianship. They’re still better than 95% of the mainstream country scene and I’m glad to have them back.

5 Comments

Well, there’s not much country about this aside from Jennifer Nettles’s (great as always) vocal. I can still hear a little of “The Incredible Machine” here. But it’s still a nice song and very nice to hear them together again.

Except for the Incredible Machine, I’ve been a Sugarland fan. I agree that “Jennifer Nettles remains one of the genre’s finest vocalists”. The song here has too many “still the sames” and didn’t care for the “ooh ooh’s” either. Could be better. I won’t buy the single. I can wait for the album.